Collaborative Research: GP-IMPACT: A Geopathway Utilizing High-Tech Geoscience Experiences for Recruitment and Retention -- A Collaboration between PBSC and FAU

本项目旨在改善目前美国劳动力中地球科学家严重短缺的状况。目标是将一种变革模式制度化，以实现长期，持续增加棕榈海滩州立学院（PBSC），两年制学院（2YC）的学生，特别是更多的女性和代表性不足的少数民族（URM），进入佛罗里达大西洋大学（FAU）的地球科学课程，南佛罗里达的四年制（4年）机构。该模型的拟议活动，如将劳动力准备组件嵌入FAU和PBSC的科学课程，开发和实施探索地质学家暑期研究所（EGSI）和本科地质学家研究经验（UGRE），这将暴露和培训更多的学生在尖端的地球科学技术，支持和配合NSF的利用数据革命，未来的工作大思路。PI预计，熟练的地球科学家的毕业率将持续增长，他们将进入劳动力市场，并在急需的部门寻求就业机会，如：能源，石油和天然气，环境服务，采矿，研究机构和联邦，州或地方政府。通过这个项目，PI还打算将PBSC和FAU的学生和教师定位为符合NSF的INCLUDES Big Idea，即“渴望改变教育和职业途径，以帮助扩大科学和工程的参与”。我们的目标是制度化的变革模式，以实现长期，持续增加的招聘和学生保留从棕榈海滩州立学院（PBSC），两年制大学（2YC），特别是更多的妇女和代表性不足的少数民族（URM），进入地球科学课程在佛罗里达大西洋大学（FAU），四年制（4yr）在南佛罗里达的机构。通过针对PBSC的多样化学生群体，该项目将显著增加FAU地球科学课程的入学人数以及女性和URM的数量。作为转型模型的一部分，PI将实施：（1）通过从PBSC招收地球科学专业学生，修订和加强转学衔接协议，（链接计划），实施地球科学特定的2+2转移飞行计划，制定跨机构合作咨询协议框架，并启动和嵌入职业准备组件直接到PBSC学生采取的地球科学课程之前转移到FAU。(2)开发一个新的探索地质学家暑期研究所（EGSI），利用丰富的地球科学高科技和实地方法，旨在吸引和招募PBSC学生的真实经验。(3)开发一个新的本科地质病理学研究经验（UGRE），旨在激励和留住学生在他们的预科到FAU地球科学学位课程早期转移。(4)加强部门文化与教师和同侪导师，使之成为一个更欢迎，并为学生提供支持的环境。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Part 1This project aims to ameliorate the current and increasing severe shortage of geoscientists in the U.S. workforce. The goal is to institutionalize a transformative model to effect a long-term, sustained increase in recruitment and retention of students from Palm Beach State College (PBSC), a two-year college (2YC), particularly more women and underrepresented minorities (URMs), into geoscience programs at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), a four-year (4yr) institution in South Florida. The proposed activities of this model, such as embedding workforce readiness components into the science curriculum at FAU and PBSC, developing and implementing Exploring Geopaths Summer Institute (EGSI) and Undergraduate Geopaths Research Experiences (UGRE), which will both expose and train more students in cutting-edge geoscience technologies, support and align with NSF's Harnessing the Data Revolution, and Future of Work Big Ideas. PIs anticipate a sustained increase in graduation rates of skilled geoscientists who will enter the workforce ready and pursue employment opportunities in much needed sectors such as: energy, oil and gas, environmental services, mining, research institutes, and federal, state or local governments. Through this project PIs also intend to position PBSC and FAU students and faculty in line with NSF's INCLUDES Big Idea that "aspires to transform education and career pathways to help broaden participation in science and engineering".Part 2This project aims to ameliorate the current and increasing severe shortage of geoscientists in the U.S. workforce. Our goal is to institutionalize a transformative model to effect a long-term, sustained increase in recruitment and retention of students from Palm Beach State College (PBSC), a two-year college (2YC), particularly more women and underrepresented minorities (URMs), into geoscience programs at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), a four-year (4yr) institution in South Florida. By targeting the diverse student population at PBSC, the project will significantly increase the enrollment, and the number of females and URMs in geoscience programs at FAU. As part of the transformative model PIs will implement: (1) Growing the transfer student pipeline and increasing student diversity by recruiting geoscience majors from PBSC, revising and strengthening the transfer articulation agreement (Link Program), implementing geoscience-specific 2+2 transfer flight plans, developing a cross-institutional collaborative advising protocol framework, and initiating and embedding career readiness components directly into the geosciences courses taken by PBSC students prior to transferring to FAU. (2) Developing a new Exploring Geopaths Summer Institute (EGSI), with authentic experiences utilizing a rich spectrum of geoscience high-tech and field methods, designed to attract, and recruit PBSC students. (3) Developing a new Undergraduate Geopaths Research Experiences (UGRE), designed to motivate and retain transfer students early in their matriculation into geoscience degree programs at FAU. (4) Enhancing the departmental culture with faculty and peer mentors to make it a more welcoming, and supportive environment for students. PIs anticipate the outcomes will position this model as one that can be easily adopted by other institutions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.